Sand wasps are found all over America, and an encounter with them is not uncommon here. But do they sting? Let’s find out.
With more than 1200 species populating North America and Mexico, the sand wasp is a common wasp identified by its peculiar nesting habit.
As the name suggests, sand wasps are diggers who create nests in the sand and usually keep to themselves in the wild.
But are they dangerous to you? Let us tell you something about how careful you should be around them.
What Are Sand Wasps?
Sand wasps belong to the genus Bembix, wasps that are part of the Crabronisae family. These are solitary wasps that are abundant in North America and grow up to an inch long.
The wasps can be recognized by their black and white color or pale green and yellow, making them similar to bees.
Sand wasps can be found in a number of places – urban areas, forests, and woodlands.
Unlike yellow jackets and paper wasps, they are not social wasps and can usually be found making their nests alone, even though the nests might be close to each other.
These wasps like to hunt large flies such as horseflies, deer flies, and tachinids and carry them to their nests to lay their eggs and feed their sand wasp larvae.
As the larva grows, they keep adding more and more flies for it until it is ready to pupate.
Do They Sting?
Sand wasps are capable of delivering extremely painful stings, but they are not very aggressive in nature.
In most cases, sand wasps will only attack humans if they feel their nest is threatened.
These wasps have a powerful sting that they use to paralyze their prey, making it easier to drag the prey to their nest. Common house flies have been known as their prey of preference.
Are They Dangerous?
The simple answer to this question is no! Sand wasps are solitary insects that nest in sandy soils and collect their own food.
They do not have hives or colonies, and the female does the nesting work alone, where they lays eggs.
Sand wasps do not have defensive behavior, and they will do their best to avoid any disturbance by working around it.
If you find them in a park or your house, usually they are trying to get out of the way. The wasps can be dangerous in large numbers, especially when children are playing around in the sand.
Are They Aggressive?
Sand wasps are timid insects who like to keep to themselves. Most of the time, the stings are accidental, and these guys don’t usually mean any harm.
They can become aggressive if they feel their nests are threatened if you step on them barefoot or if you dig up their nests in loose soil or sand.
What To Do If A Sand Wasp Stings You?
If you are unfortunately stung by one of the most docile wasps out there, you should know to look out for the signs.
A normal reaction to a sand wasp sting will be similar to that of a common wasp. Look out for redness, swelling, and pain and how long it lasts.
For allergic reactions, seek out medical attention immediately.
Sand Wasp Sting Reaction
Different people have different reactions to a sand wasp sting or any insect sting, for that matter. These reactions can include swelling and normal or allergic reactions.
Here are some things you should do as preventive measures:
Normal wasp stings include moderate to the extreme pain, redness, and swelling around the area. It will last for a few hours and resolve on its own after using some kind of antidote.
Local stings have a more elaborate reaction, with swelling extending more than 4 inches. The pain and irritation can last more than five to ten days.
For people who have an allergic reaction to an insect sting, it can be very bad news. They should get immediate medical attention to avoid a fatal physical reaction.
Sand Wasp Sting Treatment
Here are some effective home remedies that you can use to treat sand wasp stings:
- Use an ice pack on the sting site for 20 minutes to release the swelling and pain.
- Cutting an onion in half and placing the base on the sting site works to reduce the pain.
- To neutralize the sting venom, any kind of basic substance like baking soda can prove effective. A thick paste of baking soda is recommended to be applied as a paste.
- You can put vinegar on the sting, applying it with a cotton ball. The acidity of the vinegar helps to reduce the venom and helps with the swelling.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a sand wasp do to you?
Sand wasps are usually harmless to humans. They prefer to avoid humans and will not attack if not provoked.
These insects only attack humans if they feel themselves or their nests threatened. They can deliver a rather painful sting that might leave redness and swelling.
Do sand wasps fly?
Yes, sand wasps can fly. They have four wings and can fly about with a dizzying sound, mostly to attract females.
Since they are not social insects, they fly around from one place to another to find their food and build individual nests.
What kind of wasps live in the sand?
Wasps that live in the sand are a type of digger wasp. They dig up the soil to create their nests.
Certain thread-waisted wasps belonging to the Sphecidae family are digger wasps in character. These wasps dig their nests in loose and sandy soil with their pincer-like legs.
How deep do sand wasps burrow?
Sand wasps use their mandibles and legs to burrow their nests in the ground. They use these physical features to bite away chunks of the soil to whisk dirt and soil away.
These are solitary wasps that burrow on the ground by themselves to make a place to lay eggs and hide their prey.
Wrap Up
So, to sum up, our discussion, sand wasps are not a true threat to you. All you have to do is look out for them, and these wasps will not bother you with an unnecessary sting.
Getting out of a sand wasps way can save you a rather painful sting. Thank you for reading, and try not to dig around in the sand!
Reader Emails
Read all about our reader’s encounters with sand wasps over the years in the emails below. We also have some great pics of these insects for you.
Letter 1 – Sand Wasp Aggregation
blue jackets
My friend took this picture of some wasps in her yard. I am familiar with yellow and black, but blue and black? Together. Saw your picture of the Sand Wasp, but these appear to be quite social. We live in the desert southwest part of Washington state.
Marilyn
Richland, WA
Hi Marilyn,
We don’t want to make any attempts at an exact identification here until we consult Eric Eaton, but we believe this is an example of some species of Sand Wasp in the Subfamily Bembicinae.
Update (08/21/2008) From Eric Eaton
Hi, again:
Your ID is correct, and I can add that the genus is Steniolia. In that part of the country, it is either Steniolia elegans or Steniolia scolopacea albicantia. Both genders are present in this “sleeping cluster.” Great documentation of this phenomenon. Would love to have the image (more if there are some more) over at Buggide. One of our contributors is writing a book on insect signs and phenomena, and this would make a great addition.
Eric
Update: (08/21/2008) blue jackets
Hi
My friend sent you the picture I took, and I’ve gone to the bugguide webpage, but sending an email is easier than registering, logging in, and then figuring out where I need to post my pictures. I actually was given the site whatsthatbug.com by a co-worker, but since our local extension office was also looking at them, I was waiting on them. Nah, I’ll try registering, and sending the pictures there, too. Nonetheless, the couple I have that are decent are attached. There are only a few left, and as the mornings get cooler, the few left have white or light green eyes in the morning. We had a lot more before the praying mantis found a big clump last week. I tried, unsuccessfully, to get a picture this morning. I do have a couple other pictures — one my neighbor took, and one each of a yellow and a blue wasp, after putting them in the freezer overnight (on the recommendation of the extension office). I took the bodies to our extension office. We live in the mid-columbia area of Washington State, which is a south-eastern part of the state. It is very arid, mostly grass and sagebrush, and a fairly low altitude. Our yard has taller grass, but we are still trying to keep it somewhat native. You’re right that these are sleeping clusters. They would clump together in the evening, and fly off in the morning after it got warm. They are very torpid in the evening and early morning.
Karen
Letter 2 – Sand Wasp on Mt Washington
This pretty Sand Wasp in the genus Bembix and several of its relatives have been visiting the daisies in our vegetable garden. We allow the daisies and cosmos to reseed each year as the native pollinators like Wasps, Bees and Flies go nuts over the blossoms during the summer and help to pollinate our squash and tomatoes as well. Lesser Goldfinches come for the seeds as well. We are not sure where these Sand Wasps are nesting, but it must be close.
Letter 3 – Sand Wasp with Stink Bug prey
Is this a cicada killer?
Wed, Oct 15, 2008 at 11:03 AM
My son Sam, 10, took these cool pictures in August of what we thought might be a cicada killer burying it’s prey. It seems to have many things in common with a cicada killer except that its prey is not a cicada and its legs are not orange. What else could it be? Thanks for a great site!
Jim and Sam Schwartz
Prairie, 35 miles west of Chicago
Letter 4 – Spiny Tachina Fly and Sand Wasp (we think)
Fake Bumblebee?
October 19, 2009
On Saturday (October 17th) our local Audubon club came across a rabbitbrush in full bloom. There were a lot of bugs visiting the bush, including what we first assumed were lots of bumble bees. As we got closer it became obvious they weren’t bumblebees, and we were undecided if they were actually bees or flies.
Pam Wheeler
Saint George, Utah
Letter 5 – What's Buzzing the Baccharis? Sand Wasp
Sand Wasp on the Baccharis
Location: Elyria Canyon Park, Mount Washington, Los Angeles, CA
October 14, 2012
Though we posted our photos of a Scarab Hunter Wasp first, we actually photographed this Sand Wasp in the genus Bembix before we photographed the Scarab Hunter Wasps. We only got one photo before the larger Scarab Hunter Wasp flew much closer and landed. Then after photographing the male Scarab Hunter Wasp, we got a better image of this Sand Wasp. According to BugGuide: “Females provision their nest with flies which the larvae feed on (a single developing larva may eat more than twenty flies)” which would make them a desirable species to have in the garden to help control fly populations.
Letter 6 – Sand Wasps visit Mount Washington Garden
Annual Sand Wasp visit to What’s That Bug? office garden
June 22, 2013
Location: Mount Washington, Los Angeles, California
Letter 7 – Sand Wasp
Subject: Wasp sp.?
Location: Sequoia NP, California
November 11, 2013 12:40 pm
I took this photo, in Sequoia NP, California, completely by accident! I was trying to photograph the Butterfly! Does anyone know which species of Wasp it is?
Signature: GaryT
Letter 8 – Horse Guard Wasp, we believe
Subject: Bee or Fly?
Location: Swansboro, NC
May 21, 2017 3:56 pm
Is it a bee or a fly? I thought maybe a hoverfly? I’m at a loss. My friend took the picture in her yard.
Signature: Miss Sheila
Letter 9 – Sand Wasps
Subject: Fly Wasp thing
Geographic location of the bug: Central Coast California
Date: 07/19/2018
Time: 09:56 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Help ID please
How you want your letter signed: Rebecca
Letter 10 – Sand Wasp: Stizus brevipennis on Goldenrod
Subject: Which wasp is this?
Geographic location of the bug: SW Missouri
Date: 09/23/2021
Time: 07:18 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: I noticed this wasp in some goldenrod this past afternoon. I did not recognize it.
Can you help identify it, please?
How you want your letter signed: Dave
